Heads of employers’ organizations of the African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) on Tuesday exhorted heads of state meeting in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire later this week to place the private sector “at the heart of its common strategy” to address the current migration crisis and unemployment.“We call on heads of state to redirect the EU-AU relationship by putting the private sector at the heart of their joint strategy,” Jean-Marie Ackah, the president of the Ivorian Association of Employers told the press.
His desire is to see the private sector spearhead the development of Africa through European and African companies providing solutions to all these issues.
Mr. Celestin Tawamba, Chairperson of the Cameroon International Group (Gicam), read a joint statement laying out all the recommendations.
The AU-EU private sector heads invited heads of state of both continental blocs to define a long-term strategic partnership, based on economic consideration.
According to the document, the EU-AU employers group urges “a new agreement that will govern cooperation between Europe and Africa, and a platform for work, negotiations, bringing together the private sectors of the two continents.”
They further urged new funding modalities to be put in place, such as safeguard mechanisms and for measures to develop national financial markets.
A summit of heads of state of the AU and the EU will convene in Abidjan from November 29 to 30 over the future of relations with an eye on the migration crisis and unemployment.
“Europe’s security is intrinsically linked to Africa’s development, and Africa’s development depends on the training and the employment of youth. This is the best way of tacking the root cause of the migration crisis” he said.
The panel brought together the heads of the employers’ associations of Cote d’Ivoire, France, Morocco, Tunisia, Cameroon, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya.
Journal du Cameroun
